


The Magician

by epithalamium



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Era, Humor, M/M, POV Second Person, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-05-04 13:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5335661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epithalamium/pseuds/epithalamium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You take a step back, keeping your eyes on Yosuke. That seems like the right thing to do; the way his eyes meet yours briefly, darting away as if that slightest of contacts hurt, tongue licking at his lower lip and</p><p>'That's not—' he says, 'I don't really think that. He's lying.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jiraiya

You take a step back, keeping your eyes on Yosuke. That seems like the right thing to do; the way his eyes meet yours briefly, darting away as if that slightest of contacts hurt, tongue licking at his lower lip and

'That's not—' he says, 'I don't really think that. He's lying.'

He's you, you want to say, but the flesh around his eyes looks too red already, and you see his throat working, a swallow or trying to bite back a sob, so you say nothing at all.

You keep your eyes on him because the other Yosuke, the one with the shining yellow eyes, is doing the same and it's really a conversation between the two of them, nothing to do with you at all. Your presence is almost obscene, as if you've caught him taking a shower. You try to pretend you don't hear anything, that what the other Yosuke is saying affects you not at all.

'You hate being stuck out here in the fucking boonies,' the other Yosuke says. 'And you want some excitement in your life. What's wrong with that?' He tilts his head to one side, sharp smile that doesn't quite belong with Yosuke's face—a smirky little smile that is so different from the false bravado and awkwardness you've learned to associate with Yosuke, and it looks so wrong you want to hit that grin off his borrowed face.

'What's wrong with having some fun on Saki-senpai's expense?' the other Yosuke is still talking.

'Shut the fuck up.' But Yosuke's voice is too quiet, the tone making it almost a question, and his warped reflection just grins wider.

'You don't really give a fuck about anyone here, don't try to get all good neighbours on me.' He laughs. 'But now there's this new kid, right? And you _so_ want to impress him.'

'Don't.' Yosuke steps away from you, walking towards his copy—his reflection? What should you even call that other Yosuke standing behind the crates of cheap wine and canned soda? You try to grab at his shoulder, meaning to pull him back, but you don't know how he'll react to that and you don't want him to shrug you off. Perhaps you still should have stopped him, you don't know how dangerous this other Yosuke is, how he might be related to Konishi's death. But you don't want him to shrug you off.

Fucking coward.

'Bonding over a murder investigation,' says the other Yosuke. 'Isn't that just _thrilling_? If you're a four year old, maybe.' He shakes his head and looks at you. You hear yourself gasp. 'I want to be your friend. I've never had any friends.'

'Stop.'

'I pretend to be something I'm not, wrapping it all up in smiles and a happy attitude, so people will like me. But there's really nothing inside and that scares the fuck out of me.'

'Fuck you!' says Yosuke, voice cracking as he shouts. 'You don't know shit about me. You're not me.'

'That's right. I'm _me_ now.' Other Yosuke laughs again. 'And sadly, there's only room for one. Time to go bye-bye.'

That doesn't sound good. You open your mouth although you're not really sure what you're going to say, and as if trying to help you out of an awkward situation (it definitely feels like something Yosuke might do), Yosuke chooses that moment to fall face first on the ground.

You call out his name; you're not sure if he'll appreciate that. Perhaps you should stick with 'Hanamura', but fortunately he's out cold and wouldn't know you've switched to his given name like you've known each other for years.

'You fucker.' That is a good line, but other Yosuke doesn't give you a chance to appreciate your own bravado: he's too busy turning into a gigantic frog-looking thing.

'Well,' you say, holding out the golf club Yosuke gave you before you entered the telly. 'Fuck.'

*

'Pain in the arse!'

Other Yosuke—a Shadow, Teddie shouts at you from behind more crates of wine, Yosuke's Shadow? The huge frog thing in camo swipes at you as if you're a troublesome fly. Don't frogs eat flies? Perhaps you shouldn't get eaten; you'll never be able to explain to Yosuke what happened.

Perhaps you shouldn't think about sexual innuendoes while facing a hugeass Shadow. You feel his webbed hand hit the left side of your body and it fucking hurts. You almost fall to your knees, but that would just make it easier for him to flatten you like a pancake, so you stand your ground. You feel like crying, but at least you're still standing up.

'Zio,' a voice says. That isn't Teddie, you don't think. And then you remember that other one: Izanagi, who feels like a Shadow but isn't. A _Persona_. He's trying to help, and you have no idea what Zio even means, but you're going to lose nothing but your dignity and it's better than getting eaten by a giant frog, so you say it out loud, 'Zio!'

For a split second you see Izanagi brandishing his sword at Shadow Yosuke, and then there's a flash of lightning. Smell of smoke and Shadow Yosuke's cry of pain.

'He's down,' Izanagi's voice says, from the back of your mind. It's terribly convenient and rather intrusive. 'Push your advantage.'

So you hit Shadow Yosuke with your golf club. He recovers, not even bothering to stand up, just waving his arms about and hitting you with a tornado.

It probably isn't an actual tornado.

If getting swatted hurt like hell, this is the very deepest level of it. You'll be paying courtesy calls on Lucifer on this kind of pain. You scream as you fall down, landing on something soft with sharp angles.

Yosuke.

'Shit,' you say, rolling off of him. 'Sorry.'

He's still unconscious, but at least he's breathing. You wonder if you should move him, he can't be all right lying down the middle of the battlefield the liquor store has become, can he?

'Sensei!' Teddie again. He's scrambling behind the crates to where you are crouched over Yosuke. 'I'll watch over him. You take care of his Shadow!'

You nod. To be honest you'd rather curl into a small ball next to Yosuke and wait for the waves of pain to subside, but you _did_ promise Teddie. And it doesn't look like Yosuke's going to wake up unless you hand him his Shadow's arse.

It takes a couple more Zios—using lightning attacks feels like someone is sucking at your insides with a straw, but you just want this to be over and done with. Before Shadow Yosuke lets any more tornadoes loose. You think Izanagi is taking most of the damage—you reckon you'd be dead if not for your Persona, but it appears you're very _very_ weak against wind attacks.

Figures.

'No,' Shadow Yosuke says. His voice, which post-transformation sounds like he's talking from inside a cave, is softer, subdued. You rest your weight on the golf club as if it's a cane and watch as the frog turns back into a seventeen-year-old boy.

You hear Yosuke call your name—your family name of course—and you turn around.

'W—what...?' he says, looking at Shadow Yosuke, who is hovering in front of you.

'You still don't understand?' says Shadow Yosuke. His face is pale and sad, looking more like Yosuke, who wouldn't even meet your eyes.

'No, I get it,' says Yosuke. It's still weird seeing two identical people talk like this, even after all the weirdass shit you've been through. You still feel like an intruder. 'Guess I just.' He shakes his head. 'I just didn't want to accept it. I mean, it’s not every day your doppelganger pops out and talks shit about you. Even if that shit is true.'

He hunches down and you reach out for him, wondering if he's hurt somewhere (he probably is: you fell on him, after all), but you hear him muttering to himself, 'Shit. _Shit_. So fucking uncool.' and laughing softly, self-deprecatingly. You realise you like the sound of his laughter. He's laughing, he's alive. Both of you are.

'Do you accept me now?' says Shadow Yosuke.

'Yeah,' says Yosuke, still laughing. 'Who else would?'

You watch as Shadow Yosuke begins to glow, he looks different—still frog-like, but more humanoid than the Shadow you've faced. He reaches out for Yosuke, who un-hunches himself and says a name.

'Jiraiya.'

Izanagi. Jiraiya. Of course.

'You okay?' you say. Teddie is getting fractious, muttering to himself, praising you, complaining about the Shadows. He doesn't mention Shadow Yosuke, aside from a brief, 'You have one just like Sensei's now!' to Yosuke, who just shrugs.

You think you like Teddie.

'Sorry,' says Yosuke. He still won't meet your eyes.

'It's too much information on our first date,' you say. You would have winked at him, but that is more Yosuke's thing than yours. You don't know if it will make you look like a sex offender. 'But I don't mind.'

He blushes, finally looking up at you. 'Dude,' he says. 'Do you ever take anything seriously?'

'I take everything seriously.'

'I guess I’ll just have to make it up to you on our next date.' Yosuke tries to adopt your casual tone. It makes him sound like a pompous twat, but you don’t tell him that. Perhaps later, when he’s feeling less bummed.

'I’ll take you up on that,' you say, smiling.

*

Chie throws the rope at Yosuke's chest. Her eyes are wet and red-rimmed, but she doesn't look any less furious because of it. 'I was worried! You were gone and I didn't know what to do.'

Yosuke stares at the roll of rope that he's caught by instinct, cradling it in his arms as if it's a precious thing. 'Does this mean you care about me after all, Satonaka?' he says. His voice is still weak, the joke falling flat and you cringe inwardly.

'No.' Chie doesn't blush; bad news all around for Yosuke's chances there. 'But I thought, after what happened to—'

'It's getting late,' you say, before Chie can mention Konishi's name.

'Whatever,' says Chie, raising her eyebrows at you. 'I'm going home.'

Yosuke watches her retreating back for a moment before turning back to you with a wry grin. 'Guess we should apologise to her tomorrow.'

You nod. 'Let's go,' you say. 'I'll walk with you.'

'What?' says Yosuke. 'Dude, that's—I'm not a girl, you know? And why didn't you go with Satonaka?'

'Satonaka didn't enter the telly,' you say. You don't add that Chie doesn't look like she'll collapse if you breathe in her direction, that Yosuke's eyes show too much white. But Yosuke isn't stupid. 'I don't want you to end up in another rubbish bin.'

You start walking towards the exit, past the washing machines and the freezers. You don't look back, but you hear Yosuke's sigh, and the soft squeaking of his plimsolls against the tiled floors as he hurries after you.

'You're looking pretty peaky yourself,' Yosuke says, then waves his hands as if he's erasing something on a blackboard. 'Okay, I get it. You fought a brave battle and all that. But I don't see why _I_ feel like shit. I mean, I was fainted like a damsel in distress the whole time! And I still feel like Satonaka's kicked me in the balls. Except my whole body is my balls—wait, that's disgusting.'

'You can be a dick sometimes,' you agree.

'I'm gonna let that pass 'cause you just saved my life,' says Yosuke. 'But don't push it.'

You wonder if you've gone too far, turning back to face Yosuke so you can apologise, but you see that he is smiling. Before you know it, both of you are laughing; you resting your hands on your knees because your stomach hurts and Yosuke leaning slightly against your shoulders. A group of office ladies who have come to check on rice cookers look at you disapprovingly and you notice one of the employees—Yosuke's workmate—rolling his eyes, but you don't really care.

‘It was you I fought,' you say, when both of you have left Junes and you're sure no one will overhear. 'A part of you, but.’ You shrug. ‘I felt it, all the attacks Izanagi made. It’s like a part of me being sucked out. You might have been unconscious the whole time, but that part of you, your—’ you take a deep breath, ‘your Shadow, he’s still you. You were fighting the whole time.’

Not only against me, you wanted to add, but you don’t know how Yosuke will react to that.

A pause, then Yosuke takes a deep and shaky breath. ‘Sorry about that,’ he says, shaking his head at you when you open your mouth to protest. ‘I—we barely know each other, yeah? I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. And it’s just like he said. It’s only because I wanted to play the hero.’

‘He never said that.’

‘He might as well have,’ says Yosuke. He tilts his head to one side. ‘You know, that’s probably the most I’ve heard you speak since you got here.’

You smile but say nothing.

*

Yosuke’s house isn’t far from Junes and you get there without either of you falling on your faces or making tits of yourselves. Yosuke nods at the house with a green clay-tiled roof.

‘That’s us,’ he says, gesturing at the nameplate on the gate: 花村. ‘Dad didn’t waste any time having that made. We’ve only ever lived in flats before; Mum was tickled pink when she went house-hunting with Dad.’ He makes a face. ‘I wasn’t too happy myself. It made everything so permanent, you know?’

‘Do you still feel like that?’

‘I don’t know,’ he says. ‘I thought—not recently. But maybe I’m just lying to myself.’

‘He’s wrong,’ you say, before you can think it through. Yosuke raises his eyebrows at you, and you wonder if you can bluff your way out of it. You decide not to. ‘Partly. “The true self”, what does that mean? You’re still you. He’s just a part of you.’

Yosuke smiles. You realise how dark it is and how the shadows hide most of his face. ‘You do know how to flatter a guy.’

‘I try.’

‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he says. 

You’ve gone several paces from Yosuke’s house when he calls your name. You stop and look back.

‘Thanks.’

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to write a fight scene and also how game logic works if you try to narrative it up, but I'm not sure if I managed to do that, ehe. (Also, I'm a fan of how Narukami can be an arse sometimes in the spinoff games, so I probably wrote Protag like that, except maybe exaggerated. He and arshole!Yosuke deserve each other.) I'm sorry about the second-person POV, but it felt like the right thing to do. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. The Magician

...[T]he Magician: also a Trickster, but one who is firmly inside society. He is aware of his own power and importance and his ability to control nature. [....] This is the socialised Fool, who has a long journey to go before reconnecting with the World, the twenty second Trump card that some describe as the Fool as he or she really is: naked, and connected to everything.

- _Our Tragic Universe_ , Scarlett Thomas

*

It's a fine day: for one, it isn't raining. For another, your stomach seems to have recovered from the white miso you've stolen from the fridge last night.

You hear a creaking sound from behind and you stop walking, letting the other students pass you by. The creaking gets louder as Yosuke catches up with you; he's not riding his safety-hazard bike, just leading it along to the side and looking apologetic about nothing in particular. You reckon he got off his bike when he caught sight of you, anticipating the awkwardness of having to talk to someone on foot. He's thoughtful like that, except when his mouth runs away where his brains can't keep up.

'Morning,' he says.

'Hey,' you say. You're not sure where you stand with Yosuke right now. You've shared a rather singular experience the day before—although given that Yosuke did most of the sharing, you won't be surprised if he decides to stop talking to you for the rest of your stay in Inaba. It probably won't be easy looking you in the eye, knowing that you've seen a desperate secret part of him.

'I was thinking,' says Yosuke, unaware of the growing dread in the pit of your stomach. 'Last night, I got to thinking, see.'

You nod. 'It's okay,' you say. Your voice sounds weak and you wince, hoping Yosuke wouldn't notice. 'I under—'

'This thing about the murders,' Yosuke is still talking, his face set and you can see the white of his knuckles as his grip on the handlebars tighten. 'The police don't have any leads. Heck, we can talk to them right now—which is a bad idea, by the way—and they'd just laugh at us. They don't know shit about how the world inside the TV works. And there's no stopping it from happening again, right?'

This time your nod isn't the reluctant half-gesture like the first one. You have an idea where this is going, but you don't want to get your hopes up.

'Also, we promised Teddie,' says Yosuke. 'What do you think?'

'We're the only ones who can do this,' you say. It sounds like something people in the dramas on telly say, but you don't think Yosuke will tease you about that. 

'Right,' says Yosuke, grinning. 'I'm no good with planning and shit, so I'm leaving that side of the enterprise with you, yeah?'

The corners of your lips twitch. 'Enterprise?'

'Heard Sofue use it in class yesterday,' says Yosuke. 'No idea how to write it, but it sounds impressive, right?'

'Very fitting,' you agree.

'I look forward to working with you,' says Yosuke, 'partner.'

Your breath catches in your throat.

'Erm,' says Yosuke. He's reached out with his left hand—the hand that wasn't holding his bike steady—but belatedly realising what he's done, he checks himself so his hand is left extended between the two of you like an unwanted present.

You give him a wry grin, raising your right arm slightly to show him the bag you're carrying.

'So do I,' you say, holding out your free hand and clasping his.

'Why is it I always come out looking like a fool when I'm with you?'

You laugh. Technically you're _holding_ each other's hands instead of shaking, but Yosuke's palm is warm against yours, slightly sweaty, and you realise he's as nervous as you are.

'It's only been a couple days,' you say. 'It's bound to get better.'

'Or worse,' Yosuke mutters. 'With my kind of luck, it's us—' You hear the school bell and Yosuke drops your hand as if it were a hot potato. 'Oh fuck, we're gonna be late! Want a ride? We'll get there faster by bike.'

You remember the first time you've seen Yosuke: he was jumping in pain after having crashed his bike against an electricity pole. 'Erm.'

'Come on,' he says.

You sigh, climbing onto the bike behind Yosuke. It's a monumental gesture of trust and you make sure Yosuke appreciates it by holding on to his shoulders in a death grip. It will probably leave bruises later, but he doesn’t complain.

You don't crash against any poles, but you still arrive late for school.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was an awkward handshake. They should be arrested by the Etiquette Police.


	3. Junes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends I am still alive orz

After class and Chie leans over her desk to whisper to you, 'Are we gonna go look for Yukiko today?'

Chie looks pale and there are dark circles around her eyes. You're both worried about Yukiko, but you wonder if spending too much time inside the TV is taking its toll on all of you. You look over at Yosuke, who is trying not to nod off on his desk. He hasn't been skipping work at Junes; you know because you went for groceries with Nanako yesterday and saw him helping stack up pyramids of apples in the produce section. You wonder just how much rest he's been getting, what with schoolwork and all. Your own part-time work translating manuscripts isn't quite as physically taxing, but just today you found yourself napping in the middle of maths, not to speak of Japanese lit where you misread 'noon' for 'cow' in front of everyone.

'Not today,' you say. You note the look of relief that crosses Chie's face, before it changes into one of guilt. 'We have to rest,' you add. 'We'd be no good to Amagi if we end up getting killed in her castle before we can even find her.'

'Right,' says Chie, sounding unsure.

'Oh, what're you complaining about?' says Yosuke. His voice is straddling the thin line between friendly teasing and offensive, and you wonder if you're strong enough to keep Chie from giving him another kick on the balls. 'Go eat your piles of meat and train; it's just one day for fuck's sake. Amagi won't want you to hurt yourself.'

'You're right,' says Chie. 'But that tone of voice pisses me off, so shove it.'

Yosuke watches Chie leave in a huff before turning to wink at you. 'Sorry. I still owe you one and I don't have enough on me for another person. Especially one with Satonaka's appetite.'

You raise your eyebrows at him.

'Come on, man,' says Yosuke, standing up. 'I told you we'd have steak, yeah? Have you tried Inaba's specialty yet?'

You haven't. You've been to Aiya's a couple times, but that's easy: everyone's too busy with their food to pay you any attention. Souzai Daigaku has tables out in the open and you're not too keen on eating by yourself where everyone can see you. You can always get a takeaway, you suppose, but it's not really the same.

'Souzai Daigaku it is, then.' Yosuke smiles. 'Let's go!'

*

Yosuke places a pile of croquettes in front of you, which you ogle bemusedly.

'I thought we're having steak today?' you say.

'We are,' says Yosuke, settling down across the table with his own pile. 'It's all inside, believe it or not. Inaba folks just don't find the old ground beef filling enough, so they stick great big tough slabs of meat inside their croquettes instead, just imagine. And it's super popular, too.'

You laugh; Yosuke might complain about the proverbial enormous bumpkin appetite, but you can tell from the way his eyes are all lit up that he actually likes the food. Seeing as how he’s a walking stick, you think he probably needs it. 

‘Thanks for the meal,’ you say.

Both of you eat in silence for a while: Yosuke isn’t kidding, the steak _is_ tough, but it works well as a counterpoint to the softness of the potatoes and it’s actually quite good. It takes a lot of serious chewing, though. Probably not an ideal place to take a date if you want to get to know each other better. Fortunately for both of you, you reckon you know more about Yosuke than he’s actually willing to share. 

‘Damn, Satonaka actually says this meat is juicy and tender,’ says Yosuke. ‘What kind of teeth does she have? Scratch that—what kind of jaw does she have?’

‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ you say.

‘W-hat?’ Yosuke’s blushing. Interesting. ‘You mean get eaten alive by that carnivore? No way, dude—’

‘This place is deserted.’ 

Yosuke stops talking as two women walk past your table. And then he does something—you can’t quite put your finger on it, but he seems smaller somehow, more subdued. Intrigued, you lean forward a bit to take a better look at the women, who have been kind enough to stop near Souzai Daigaku the better to let you hear their conversation. 

‘Isn’t that the Junes kid? He goes to the Yasogami high school, right?’

‘I hear he’s in the same class as Mr Sato’s son. The Satos’ family business is going under, did you know?’

‘The shopping district’s never recovered. And yet here he is—’ the woman’s voice trail off, and you see her shrug.

‘It’s a bit indelicate, right?’

‘Sorry about that,’ says Yosuke. You turn back to him. ‘It’s—well, I’m infamous around here, you know? Everyone knows I’m the Junes kid.’

‘Must be tough,’ you say.

'It's got nothing to do with me personally, really. It's my parents' business. Well, my dad's.' He laughs. 'It's a bit of a pain always having to be polite and minding my manners, though.' 

It's obvious he doesn't really want to talk about it, so you just nod and let it pass. Actually, you think the women are being unfair to Yosuke—and Junes in general—but it isn't your place to say so. And it isn't as if your opinions have any bearing, seeing as how you've been living in Inaba for a grand total of three weeks. 

'Want some more?' says Yosuke, eyeing the diminishing pile of croquettes on your plate. He places an order for more before you can protest—seriously, does he have hollow legs?—and you spend the rest of the afternoon gnawing on steak croquettes and making fun of the homeroom teacher.

*

'Dude, is this gonna be a habit? 'Cause I think I deserve some sort of warning, you know?' So he says, but Yosuke is still smiling, so you reckon he's mostly teasing. Mostly.

'I thought it'd be a good idea to walk around a bit,' you say. 'Help with the digestion.'

'We did eat a lot, didn't we,' he says, rubbing his stomach. 'Man, I should've left some space for dinner. Mum's not gonna be too pleased if I just pick at my food, and after all the effort she's put in it too.'

'Just think of it as storing up energy for Yukiko's castle.'

'What am I, hibernating? I don't think it works that way,' he says. 

'You could use some added weight.'

'Checking my figure out, aren't you?' Yosuke backtracks, his face red. 'You know what? Scratch that. And it's not like you're the biggest guy around either.'

'I'll have you know I'm ripped.'

'I'll er, take your word for it.' He winks. He really should stop doing that. It might give people the wrong idea. 'All right, that's home. Should I thank you for walking with me, or is that too date-y?'

You think that Yosuke running his mouth off has become one of your favourite things.

'Works for me, either way,' you say. 'Yosuke.'

He has turned away from you to unlock the gate, but he looks back when you say his name. You realise belatedly that you have called him by his first name, but he doesn't seem to mind, the expression on his face mostly 'Something you wanna say?' than 'What did you just call me?'

'It's just me,' you say. 'You don't have to pretend with me.'

He doesn't ask what you mean, no dawning of realisation as he recalls the women's conversation that you overheard earlier: he knows at once what you are talking about. Proof enough of how much it actually affected him. His face is guarded now and you wonder if he'll take offence after all.

'Sorry,' you say. 'I probably jumped the gun on that one.'

'Are you for real?' he says, under his breath. That's a rhetorical question, so you keep your mouth shut. 'Fuck. That's not gonna be easy, you know?'

'Sorry.'

''Cause you've seen me at my worst, it doesn't matter,' he says. 'Is that how you figure?'

'You're forgetting the important part.' At his raised eyebrows, you go on, 'I _have_ seen you at your worst and it really doesn't matter, but we're also friends. At least, I think so.' You swallow. 'I'd like to be your friend, anyway.'

He finally smiles. 'I think that's already been established, yeah.' He pauses, as if waiting for you to say something. When you don't, he sighs. 'You realise I'm probably the least cool person you've ever met in your life?'

'I think you're plenty cool.'

'You're really weird, you know that?'

You smile. 'No one's perfect.'

'Well, it does work in my favour,' he says. 

'So?'

'So yeah. I'll keep that in mind.' He turns back to the gate. 'Happy?'

'Yes.'

'Now go home before Dojima brings the whole squad out looking for you,' he says. 'Weirdo.'

*

Nanako sees you smiling when you get back home, 'Did something good happen?'

'I think so,' you say.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The kanji for noon is 午 while the kanji for cow is 牛. If you're having a bad day might be easy enough to mistake them for each other, I guess.


	4. Okina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ayane I'm sorry. ;_;

'Are you going to practice today, senpai?' Ayane is standing near the staircase. She has no reason to be there, you don't think; she's a year below you and the first years have their classrooms on the ground floor. But of course, the library is on your floor so she might have been getting some revising in before clubs. 

Yosuke is standing a few paces from her, right in front of the bulletin board, and you meet his eyes briefly. You've caught him staring at the posters as you are leaving the classroom, reading advertisements made by clubs looking for new members. As a part-timer at Junes, Yosuke doesn't really have time for after-school activities, which you think is a shame. He'll probably get to meet more people that way and make friends who won't care whose son he is.

'Sorry,' you tell Ayane. 'Maybe tomorrow.'

'All right,' says Ayane, looking vaguely disappointed. 'But don't skip practice too much, senpai, or you'll get rusty!'

You assure her you won't, and you're wondering how to excuse yourself when Yosuke calls your name.

'Hey,' he says, waving his stick arms about. This should have looked awkward but it doesn't. You're not sure if it has to do with his Persona or maybe all the fighting he's been doing inside the telly, but you've noticed that Yosuke's movements are actually rather graceful. As if he's tracing patterns on the wind with his body. Sometimes—especially in the middle of battle—it looks like he's going to fly away entirely, like smoke blown away by the wind. Of course, this is when he doesn't do something incredibly un-cool, like dropping his kunai. A man of extremes, Yosuke.

'Hey,' says Yosuke again, jogging over to where you're standing. 'Sorry about this, man. We're under-staffed right now and there's a bunch of new deliveries that just came in.'

'No problem,' you say. 'I like being owed favours.'

'Arse.'

'Sorry, Matsunaga,' you say, turning to Ayane with an apologetic smile. 'This guy's completely useless and needs my help, you see.'

'Oh.' Ayane's smiling now. She smiles with her whole face: eyes crinkling and her cheeks turning pink. 'You seem to be very good friends. I wish I have a friend like you, senpai.'

'Unfortunately,' says Yosuke, 'he's already your friend. You have my condolences.'

This makes Ayane giggle, and you're smiling yourself when you say, 'Remember how you owe me a favour?'

'Right, right.' He throws his hands in the air. 'Now come on before we're late and my dad tears us a new one.'

'See you,' you call out to Ayane as you go down the stairs with Yosuke. She waves at you, looking a lot more cheerful now than when she greeted you earlier. You remember how the members of the band seldom speak to her and make a mental note to show up for practice tomorrow as promised. 

'Is she your type, then?' says Yosuke, once you reach the row of lockers near the school entrance and are out of earshot. 

A couple nights ago, Yosuke has given you a call asking whether you fancied Chie or Yukiko. You've considered saying Chie just to see how he'll react, but opted for the truth instead. 

'Guess when you've seen their bad sides from the get-go you kinda lose interest, huh?' Yosuke says.

'Sort of,' you say, chewing absently at your lower lip. 'I think it just makes them more human. And I see them as friends.'

'What is it with you and friends?'

'Are you complaining, partner?' 

'Hell, no,' says Yosuke. 'But don't rub it in!'

Remembering the conversation makes you smile to yourself and Yosuke starts losing patience, saying your name loudly and poking you in the ribs.

'She's your type, isn't she? You've got a stupid smile on your face.'

You shrug, wondering if your smile does look stupid. 'She reminds me of you. A bit.'

'Dude,' he says, taking a step back. 'Actually, I don't know what to say to that. I'm all all out of witty repartee. You win.'

'She's doing her best,' you say. 'She's not very good at playing the trombone, but she's doing her best to get better.' Yosuke makes a 'hm' sound before you add, 'She's not my type either.'

'Now I don't know whether to be relieved or offended.'

'I never said _you_ weren't my type,' you point out.

'Please stop joking with that robot face on.' 

You laugh. Yosuke gets flustered so easily it's almost a crime not to tease him. But he's looking really red and confused and miserable, so you decide to take pity on him. 'Am I really going to help you stock up shelves at Junes? Because that wasn't what I agreed to yesterday.'

'Nah.' Yosuke makes an obvious effort to pull himself together; it's a bit like watching a dog shaking water off its fur. 'I just said that because I thought it might ruin your chances with her, seeing as how you're blowing off band practice just to go out with me.'

'So I actually owe you a favour instead of the other way around?'

He grins. 'I like being owed favours.'

'Arse,' you say, grinning back.

*

Yosuke needs to buy new strings for his guitar and pick up a game he ordered online from a shop in Okina. You jump at the chance when he asks if you want to come with; you've only seen Okina from the train to Inaba and it looks like an interesting place. You've been enjoying your stay in the countryside so far, but the truth is you rather miss the bustle of the shops and the crowded pavements in the city.

'Damn, I miss that city air,' says Yosuke, as soon as you get off the train. 'I'm still a city boy at heart, you know.' He stops and considers what he has said. 'Am I starting to sound like Teddie?'

There's a stray cat hanging about the bins behind Yosuke. You wonder if it would be quite the thing to trot over there and try to pet it, but Yosuke is giving you an expectant look, waiting for you to say something, and you barely remember what it is he said.

'Teddie's cute,' you say. That seems like a safe enough answer.

'You think so?' says Yosuke, following your gaze. He rolls his eyes when he spots the cat. 'Is that your type then? Please don't tell me you're a furry.'

'Hm.' You give him your best imploring look. You're not sure how effective it is; he's the first person you've tried it on, but it must have been good enough because he shrugs and waves you off. Note to self: imploring looks work on Yosuke. You should remember to use them sparingly so he wouldn't catch on. 

The cat is an orange tabby of no discernible breed; a bit on the skinny side but with a cute and roundish face. 

'It probably has fleas,' says Yosuke.

You and the cat give him an offended look. 'Cats don't get fleas,' you say.

'Whatever,' says Yosuke. 'Dude, you sorta look alike. Hang on, let me take a photo.' He takes his mobile out of his pocket and starts fiddling around with it. He frowns when what sounds like the intro to an AKB48 song starts playing; a cute ringtone, but you won't be doing Yosuke any favours by saying that aloud. You've already implied he is cute once, which is probably enough for today. 'Spam. I keep getting all these shitty spam messages.'

'Why not change your address?' The cat is proving resistant to your petting, but you can hear the beginnings of a purr forming in its throat.

'Can't,' says Yosuke. 'Well, not really _can't_ , but it's a bit of a bother, isn't it? I mean, I'd have to tell all my friends from the city that I've changed my address, but most of them probably aren't thinking of contacting me in the first place. So it's kind of like sending people spam, I guess.'

'It's never a bother, when it's about your friend,' you say. 

'I don't know about that.' He laughs, but there is very little humour to it. 'I don't even remember what we used to talk about, you know? The usual shit probably, but,' his voice trails off and he takes a photo of you with the cat instead. 'It's hard to form a bond with someone, isn't it?'

'Yeah,' you say. You're looking at the camera lens of Yosuke's mobile, your eyes almost meeting except he's really looking at you from the screen of his mobile and you're not looking at him at all. 'Yeah, it is.'

'They would have laughed at me if I said that,' says Yosuke. 

'I wouldn't have had friends to tell that to,' you say. 'Before.'

'Is it because you prefer petting cats over talking to people?'

You laugh. 'Cats are cute.'

'You are so a furry! Dude, come on.' But he's also laughing, the pensiveness from earlier gone, or pushed somewhere you can't see. You feel like you're beginning to understand Yosuke more, the facade that he has carefully made for himself, and what his Shadow has said. 

'Yeah, come on,' you say, waving goodbye to your new friend with some regret. (It ignores you.) 'We should probably pick your eroge up before the shops close.'

'Dude!' Yosuke splutters. 'It's not! Although actually, there's nothing wrong with eroge. Don't tell me you haven't played any.'

'I won't then,' you say.

'But you have, haven't you?'

'I'm not supposed to tell you I haven't.'

'Aw shut it. I'm sure you have. Probably the ones for furries, too.' 

'I didn't even know they have furry-type eroge, but you seem to know all about it,' you say, trying hard to keep your face straight. 'There's nothing wrong with being a furry, Yosuke.'

'Thanks,' he says, drily. 'That means a lot, coming from you.'

'Oh I try.'

*

You try, because you like seeing him smile.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So every last bit of the Magician Social Link breaks my heart, but this is probably one of my favourites. It's also one of the more boring ones, since they're just standing around, but yeah. :P It's a short scene and I don't think it made much of an impact on me on my first playthrough (compared to the other rank events, anyway) but I love how Yosuke actually tells Protag about his friends from the city, it's like letting Protag see such a vulnerable part of him. Totally sharing more than he did in the previous events.


	5. Mortal blow

Teddie has sensed a strong presence in the bath house and you reckon it might be worth looking into. It would help pass the time waiting for Kanji to get well enough to talk about his experience inside the telly, but also you're looking out for a number of items people from school have asked for.

It started when you overheard a couple of girls from class talking about the recent murders and disappearances and how worried they both were. Ayano has mentioned a lucky charm and while you're not the superstitious sort yourself you don't think it would hurt for her to hang on to something that might make her feel safer, so you give her a small statue you found in Yukiko's castle. Word spread around that you are the go-to guy for specific and hard-to-find items, and you find yourself getting approached by students and teachers alike. Yosuke and Chie have started calling you the 'Purveyor of Shady Goods', but you don't mind. People usually give you nifty items in exchange and it’s not much of a bother.

Which is all very well and good except the strong presence Teddie's been harping on about turns out to be a big pain in the arse and you wish you stayed at home and read _Witch Detective_ instead.

‘Fuck!’ Yosuke’s voice is faint against Chie and Yukiko’s screams and you can barely hear him cussing from somewhere to your left. Another barrage of physical attacks from your friendly neighbourhood Intolerant Officer. Yosuke's fast enough to manage dodging most of it, but the rest of you aren't quite so lucky.

'You all need to heal, sensei!' Teddie shouts at you from where he is huddling near the exit.

Why don't you fucking come here and do it then, you think. Which is rather unfair to Teddie but also every part of your body hurts and you think you've torn your uniform in several places again. These forays inside the telly is costing you loads by way of thread.

'Konohana Sakuya.' Yukiko—who is looking as pale as her namesake—has to be helped up by Chie, but she calls out to her Persona as if she's just ordering tea in a cafe. The pain lessens as Konohana Sakuya's healing spell takes effect, but you're worried about how long Yukiko can keep it up. Not that she can't pull her own weight; she might not be as strong as Chie or as quick on her feet as Yosuke, but she's proven herself to be surprisingly hardy and you can count on her to keep her head in a fight. The only problem is you don't think your attacks are doing much good against the damned doughnut shadow and spells take their toll on the caster.

You switch King Frost out for Rangda, the only Persona you have that can cast Rakunda. This seems to help; you’re still in a pinch, but at least your attacks are actually connecting. 

‘Watch out!’ Chie yells at you. The Shadow has taken aim, and you fall down as the ice spell hits.

You feel as if your heart has stopped, your whole body has frozen, and you don’t even have the breath left to scream. You hear your friends calling your name, but they sound far away. Like echoes.

You do your best to consider your options, even though it’s a pain even having to stay conscious:

The Shadow is likely to press its advantage and is probably readying another ice attack in your direction. You can’t really be sure because everything looks like you decided to go swimming in the river in the middle of a storm, but you’d bet your Gunpla collection that Intolerant Officer’s not gonna have any qualms about taking you down.

No one is close enough to help. Yukiko might be able to rustle up another healing spell, but she wouldn’t be fast enough. You’re going to die. You’re going to die on your arse and you’re not even wearing your best underwear.

‘I don’t think so.’

That is Yosuke’s voice. You don’t remember him being that close, but he must have done something (cast Garu on himself maybe?) because you definitely feel his weight on top of you. There is no time for him to pull you out of the way or defend himself though, and you hear him stifle a scream as the attack hit.

‘Yosuke!’

You hear Yukiko calling for her Persona as you shout Yosuke’s name. Healing spell again. It’s nowhere near enough to make you feel good, but at least you don’t feel so dead any more.

‘Thanks,’ you say.

‘Fuck, sorry,’ says Yosuke. His fall has landed him square on top of your lower body, face in close proximity to your crotch and turning an interesting shade of old milk and crushed strawberries. ‘Would you hate me if I throw up all over your lap right now?’

You manage a weak laugh. Yosuke doesn’t even bother sitting up, he just rolls off of you and lies on his back while you run a mental check of your body parts. All the crucial bits seem to be in working order and you don’t even shake so much when you try to stand back up.

‘Take it easy, partner,’ you say, tightening your grip on the handle of your sword. You haven’t dropped your weapon even after all that; a small victory if any. 

Yosuke grins at you, waving one of his kunais in the air in a brief salute. ‘Don’t mind if I do.’

You switch back to King Frost, already thinking of all the money you’re going to give the Fox later in exchange for healing. ‘Let’s finish this.’

*

Nanako looks up from her quiz program on the telly when you get back home.

‘I went for groceries earlier,’ she says, ‘There’s lots of food in the fridge!’

‘Thanks,’ you say, padding towards the kitchen. You don’t really feel like eating--actually what you want is to lie down and sleep for a week--but you remember the can of Dr Salt NEO Chie has given you a couple days ago and you reckon you could use some sugar. 

The fizzy drink is pushed to the back of the fridge, right behind a block of tofu. Nanako isn’t kidding; there _is_ lots of food in the fridge. You think of her walking down the Shopping District with her large bag, carrying heavy parcels of meat and vegetables back home. 

‘What would you like for dinner?’ you say.

‘Hmm, I dunno,’ she says. ‘Maybe instant ramen?’

‘How about some hamburgers?’ You pull out a container of minced meat from the freezer. ‘We could add egg on top of them. Like from that anime we watched last time.’

‘The ones with flower-shaped eggs?’ says Nanako. 

‘Yup, I think we have a flower-shaped cookie cutter here somewhere.’

Nanako leaves the living room and stands next to you in the kitchen. She seldom ever leaves the telly when her favourite program is on and you feel a bit flattered about that.

‘Can I help?’

‘Sure, you can help me make the burgers,’ you say. 

You yawn multiple times (the last time made you worry your jaw has locked in permanent O shape) and almost nod off while frying the eggs, but the look on Nanako’s face when you both settle down to eat your flower-topped hamburgers makes it well worth it.

*

Yosuke stands up as soon as the bell rings, almost knocking his chair down in his hurry. His mum is busy most days helping his dad at Junes and rarely has the time to make packed lunch. As it is, Yosuke has to beat the rest of the students who haven’t brought lunch with them in the quest for yakisoba bread from the school store.

You reach out as he runs past your desk and tug at his sleeve.

‘I made too much yakiniku last night,’ you say, holding up the bento box you prepared with Nanako’s help earlier that morning. ‘Erm, would you, maybe you’d like--’

‘A lunch you made?’ says Yosuke. You practically see his eyes shine. ‘An honest-to-goodness lunch you cooked yourself?’

‘Well,’ you say, ‘Yes. It’s not much but--’

‘All right!’ he says, all but dragging you out of the classroom. ‘We can eat lunch on the rooftop, have you ever been?’

You assure him that you have in fact been, but not for dietary reasons. 

‘Come on then,’ he says. You follow him up the flight of stairs to the rooftop, knowing you almost didn’t make it out of the telly yesterday, and the feel of his body shielding you from that fatal blow.

‘What’s up? You have that creepy smile on again.’

‘Today’s a good day,’ you say.

*

You wish you can take his hand in yours. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really happened to me and I haven't saved in a while. If Yosuke hasn't taken that blow for me that would have been several level ups down the drain. I felt so guilty I promised to share all my lunches with him forever. Thanks, Brosuke.
> 
> (Also sorry for skipping everything about the Bath house. I might come back to it later, but probably not. :p)


End file.
